Tray system for stacking layers of non-structural bottles

ABSTRACT

A tray system for stacking layers of non-structural bottles is provided. The system includes a plurality of generally rectangular plastic trays for supporting bottles, and a plurality of sleeves, where each sleeve is positioned about the perimeter of a tray to support a like tray above it.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/329,667 filed Apr. 29, 2016, the contents of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a tray system having aplurality of trays and intervening support sleeves for stacking layersof non-structural bottles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, metal carts referred to as “bossy” carts—are typically usedto transport and present milk to customers via a series of rigidlyconnected racks on each cart.

The present invention provides an improved tray and sleeve structure fortransporting layers of non-structural bottles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tray system having a plurality of traysand a plurality of sleeves that can be used to form layers of bottlesupports.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a tray system fortransporting bottles is provided. The tray system includes a pluralityof rectangular plastic trays. Each tray has a first side, an opposingsecond side, a first end and an opposing second end, and a supportsurface formed from a plurality of ribs extending between the first sideand the second side and a plurality of ribs extending between the firstend and the second end. Certain select ribs of the plurality of ribsextending between the first side and the second side and the pluralityof ribs extending from the first end to the second end can extend upwardabove the remaining ribs to form bottle pockets or areas on the uppersurface of the tray.

The system also includes a plurality of sleeves interposed between theplurality of trays. Each sleeve has a portion or panel extending alongthe first side, a portion or panel extending along the second side, aportion or panel extending along the first end, and a portion or panelextending along the second end of each tray. Each portion or panel ofthe sleeve is positioned around the periphery of the upper surfaceproximate a perimeter of the tray.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a tray system forstacking layers of bottles comprises a generally rectangular tray havinga first side, an opposing second side, a first end and an opposingsecond end, and an upper support surface between the first and secondsides and first and second ends. The tray includes a channel along aperiphery of the support surface. The tray system also includes a firstsleeve configured to be supported in the channel.

The support surface can be formed from a plurality of ribs. The ribs canbe sized to form pockets for supporting bottles.

The sleeve can include a first panel, a second panel, a third panel anda fourth panel. The first panel of the sleeve can include a firstwindow. Similarly, the second panel can include a second window, thethird panel can include a third window and the fourth panel can includea fourth panel.

The tray can include a lower surface and a lower channel along aperiphery of the lower surface to receive an upper edge of a like sleevefrom a lower tray.

The tray system can further comprise a second tray and a second sleeve,the second tray configured to be supported on the first sleeve.Additional trays and sleeves can also be added to the system.

Further aspects of the invention are disclosed in the Figures, and aredescribed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system having a plurality of trays andsleeves for transporting bottles in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1 in a collapsedstate without the bottles;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tray of the present system with asingle bottle positioned thereon;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tray of the present system fullyloaded with bottles and including a peripheral support sleeve; and,

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the system of FIG. 1 showingpart of a layer of bottles and trays.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention is directed to a traysystem 10 comprising a plurality of trays 12 configured to support aplurality of bottles 14. The plurality of trays 12 interact with aplurality of support sleeves 16. The trays 12 and support sleeves 16allow for stacking a plurality of layers of bottles 14 on a pallet 18(or dolly or other support structure). FIG. 1 shows four layers ofbottles 14 supported on the pallet 18. One tray 12 is placed on the topof the layers of bottles 16 to act as a top cap for the system 10.However, other top caps can be utilized.

FIG. 2 shows a collapsed system 10 without the bottles 14. The trays 12are supported on the pallet 18. The sleeves 16 can be collapsed orfolded and placed on top of the trays 12 and pallet 18. In this manner,the system can be easily shipped back after transporting bottles to adestination. The reduced volume of the collapsed system 10 provides forcost effective and efficient shipping.

As shown in FIG. 3, the trays 12 are generally rectangular and include afirst side 20, a second side 22, first end 24 and a second end 26. Eachof the sides 20, 22 and ends 24, 26 is a generally rectangular shapedpanel. The tray 12 includes a plurality of ribs 28 that extend betweenthe first and second sides 20, 22 and the first second ends 24, 26 toform an upper support surface for the bottles 14. Certain of the ribscan extend upward higher than others to form separate bottle pockets 30or areas on the upper surface. The upper surface of the tray 12 can alsoinclude a channel 32 (again by varying the height of certain ribs) orother support structure along a perimeter to support a sleeve 16 on theupper surface of the tray 12. The sleeve 16 can then be used to supportanother like tray 12 above the tray 12 at issue. In this manner, thetrays 12 and sleeves 16 can be stacked to form a plurality of layers asshown in FIG. 1.

The lower surface of each tray 12 can also include a channel 34 or otherstructure to enable an upper tray to rest on and be supported by anupper edge of a lower sleeve 16. The upper and lower channels 34, 32help keep the sleeves in the proper locations along the perimeter of thetray 12. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the sleeves 16 can be sized so thatbottles 14 on a lower tray 12 do not contact or otherwise support anupper tray 12. This keeps pressure (from the weight of upper layers) offof the bottles 14.

FIG. 4 shows a single layer of bottles 14 supported on the tray 12 ofFIG. 3. The bottles 14 can be one gallon bottles (such as plastic milkbottles), however, other sizes and shapes can be used. A sleeve 16 isshown around the bottles 14 along the periphery of the tray 12. Thesleeve 16 includes four side panels 36. Each side panel 36 of a sleeve16 shown in FIG. 4 includes a window 38 for visual inspection of thebottles 14 on the tray 12 (however, the sleeve 16 can include more thanone window 38 per panel 36, or have no windows 36 on one or more of thepanels 36). The window 38 is important when other layers of trays 12 arestacked on top of the tray 12, which limit inspection from the top ofthe tray 12.

Each sleeve 16 can be of one-piece construction. That is, the sleeve 16can be formed from a single blank of material having four panels 26. Thetwo ends of the blank can be connected to form a rectangular opening orshape for placement of the sleeve 16 in the channel 32 of the tray 12.The sleeve 16 can be folded (e.g., bringing two opposing cornerstogether) to collapse the sleeve 16 when not being used. In use, thesleeve 16 is opened and positioned along the perimeter of a first orlower tray to support one or more upper trays (or a top cap for theuppermost tray/sleeve combination).

The plurality of stacked trays 12 and sleeves 16 can be supported on apallet 18, dolly or other like structure for transport. When empty, thetrays 12 can be stacked on the pallet 18 or dolly, and the sleeves 16can be collapsed and placed thereon for return.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a stack of trays 12 holdingbottles 14. As is evident in the top tray 12 certain of the ribs 40extend upward higher than others 42 to form the pockets 30 for eachbottle 14. Similarly, ribs 44 along the perimeter are small than otherribs to form the channels 32, 34. While the channels 32, 34 can extenduninterrupted around the perimeter, some of the ribs crossing thechannels 32, 34 can extend upward higher than the channel rib 44. Thesleeve 16 can be provided with slots to accommodate such cross-ribs. Theslots can then be used to align the sleeve on the tray 12 (this can beuseful for proper placement of the sleeve if it is in two or more partsthat do not extend to the corners).

Preferably, the trays are formed from a molded plastic or other suitablematerial. The sleeve is preferably plastic, such as a corrugatedplastic, or other suitable material (such as a paperboard or corrugatedpaper).

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possiblein light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understoodwithin the scope of the appended claims the invention may be protectedotherwise than as specifically described.

I/We claim:
 1. A tray system for transporting bottles comprising: aplurality of rectangular trays, each tray having a first side, anopposing second side, a first end and an opposing second end, and asupport surface formed from a plurality of ribs extending between thefirst side and the second side and a plurality of ribs extending betweenthe first end and the second end wherein select ribs of the plurality ofribs extending between the first side and the second side and theplurality of ribs extending from the first end to the second end extendupward above the remaining ribs to form bottle pockets; and, a pluralityof sleeves interposed between the plurality of trays, each sleeve havinga portion extending along the first side, a portion extending along thesecond side, a portion extending along the first end, and a portionextending along the second end wherein each portion of the sleeve isproximate a perimeter of the tray.
 2. The tray system of claim 1 whereinthe tray is formed from plastic.
 3. The tray system of claim 1 whereinthe sleeve is formed from plastic.
 4. The tray system of claim 1 whereinthe sleeves are collapsible.
 5. The tray system of claim 1 wherein eachtray includes a channel on an upper surface proximate the perimeter tohold a lower edge of one of the plurality of sleeves.
 6. The tray systemof claim 5 wherein each tray includes a channel on a lower surfaceproximate the perimeter to contact an upper edge of a lower one of theplurality of sleeves.
 7. The tray system of claim 1 wherein each sleeveincludes a first window in the portion extending along the first side, asecond window in the portion extending along the second side, a thirdwindow in the portion extending along the first end, and a fourth windowin the portion extending along the second end.
 8. The system of claim 1further comprising a pallet for supporting the trays and sleeves.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1 further comprising a dolly for supporting the traysand sleeves.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the sleeve iscollapsible.
 11. A tray system for stacking layers of bottlescomprising: a generally rectangular tray having a first side, anopposing second side, a first end and an opposing second end, and anupper support surface between the first and second sides and first andsecond ends, the tray having a channel along a periphery of the supportsurface; and, a first sleeve configured to be supported in the channel.12. The tray system of claim 11 wherein the support surface is formedfrom a plurality of ribs.
 13. The tray system of claim 12 wherein theribs form pockets for supporting bottles.
 14. The tray system of claim11 wherein the sleeve includes a first panel, a second panel, a thirdpanel and a fourth panel.
 15. The tray system of claim 14 wherein thefirst panel of the sleeve includes a first window.
 16. The tray systemof claim 15 wherein the second panel includes a second window, the thirdpanel includes a third window and the fourth panel includes a fourthpanel.
 17. The tray system of claim 11 wherein the tray includes a lowersurface and a channel along a periphery of the lower surface to receivean upper edge of a lower sleeve.
 18. The tray system of claim 11 furthercomprising a second tray and a second sleeve, the second tray configuredto be supported on the first sleeve.
 19. The tray system of claim 11wherein the tray is formed from plastic.
 20. The tray system of claim 11wherein the sleeve is formed from plastic.